Competence assessment rubric in the Physiotherapy Practicum

Abstract

Introduction Competence-based learning must be integrated into the practical development of Physiotherapy. Teamwork, interpersonal relations, analytical skills or critical/clinical thinking are some examples of internationally recommended competences in this kind of university studies. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate this learning in Physiotherapy through valid tools that facilitate this task. Objective To analyze the psychometric properties according to competences in Clinical Practices (RECOPC-FIS II) in order to assess 14 transversal or universal competences of under-graduate students in the Physiotherapy degree. Methods A validation study was conducted with 197 students in the 3rd and 4th year of the Physiotherapy degree and 202 clinical tutors who assessed these students using the RECOPC-FIS II. Different psychometric properties were analyzed: factor structure, internal consistency and sensitivity to change. Results The RECOPC-FIS II has a high internal consistency. Its 14 items saturate in a single factor. Regarding the sensitivity to change, the rubric showed higher scores in the Practicum of the 4th year with respect to that of the 3rd year, reaching significant differences in all of them. Conclusion The RECOPC-FIS II is a valid and reliable instrument to assess the transversal competencies of undergraduate students of Physiotherapy during their clinical practice. Therefore, it is intended to facilitate the acquisition of essential skills for the development of their professional career. The flexibility of this tool would allow its adaptation to other health science courses.